


Catch the Cat

by wallywesticle



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Catlad, M/M, Mild Language, Tim Drake is Catlad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-27
Updated: 2016-04-27
Packaged: 2018-06-04 22:00:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6676978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wallywesticle/pseuds/wallywesticle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After years of trying his damndest to catch Catlad, Jason Todd finds himself in a predicament he could have never believed he'd be in. Finding a solution that doesn't require a shooting or any sort of violence might prove to be the biggest challenge of his life. Hey, they never said love would come easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Catch the Cat

“Wait- Stop!”

“Sorry, but I can’t wait around here; i’ll get caught.” He lept from the building leaving Jason Todd to stand there, dumbfounded and alone. Batman showed up behind him nearly seconds after he lost the kid, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. Robin frowned, turning around and sighing. That was the fifth night in a row they failed to catch Catlad. They had been so close tonight- so fucking close- and somehow he slipped through their fingers. Jason was disappointed in himself.

“It’s fine, Robin, we can try again tomor-”

“We should have caught him today. I should have been able to grab him. I’m sorry Br-”

“Robin.” His tone was clipped, and Jason winced, looking down at his feet. He hadn’t meant to almost give Bat’s secret identity away. Bruce looked at him sternly for a few more seconds before turning his back and looking towards the Batmobile.

“Let’s go home.”

“But-”

“Now.” Jason deflated, nodding his head and bounding towards the vehicle. Once safely inside, they sped back to the cave and tried to forget about the night they had.

* * *

 

“How have I not fucking caught you yet?” Jason’s voice called beneath the red helmet. The teen before him stopped, turned around, and gave him a toothy grin.

“You should put duct tape over your lips to fix that broken mouth of yours.” The Hood gave him a judging look behind the red barrier, crossing his arms. At least he had gotten the kid to stop running.

Catlad went quiet, lips still pursed in an arrogant smirk, and slowly moved himself around Jason’s form. His eyes scanned him from behind goggles, analyzing every fiber of his being, getting a feel for who the man beneath the mask was. He visibly perked up upon finishing.

“Oh, it’s boy wonder. Still angry you couldn’t catch me all those years ago?”

“I am not boy wonder, pal. Don’t even try to pair me up with that fucking Bat.” Jason sneered, nearly cutting the off. Catlad looked thoughtful for a moment, tapping his chin with his index finger. He had been nearly certain this guy was that charming Robin that almost caught him years before. Was he really all that wrong?

“You seemed familiar. I could be wrong. Unlikely, but I could be.” Red Hood rolled his eyes. What a cocky little shit.

“You got a name, kid, or do I have to beat it out of you?” The other laughed.

“Sure, you can...beat me.” Jason flushed, and he was glad his helmet covered his whole face. There was no way he was going to let this guy see him flustered. Especially not over something the asshole said. Said asshole laughed again.

“I’m teasing you,” he said. “I have a name, sure. You’ll have to figure it out on our next date.” He grinned, waving a ‘goodbye’ and jumping from the rooftop and running until he was out of sight. Jason blinked a few times, trying to make sense of all that just happened. He settled on going back to his safehouse and stitching up the wounds the kid had given him.

* * *

 

Tim Drake really should have gone to college when he had the chance. He insisted, however, on graduating with his friends and sticking it out through high school. Big mistake. Everyone was incredibly immature. He watched as a kid wrote ‘boobies’ on a locker. The perfect example of immaturity.

“Tim, are you going to join us at the movies tonight?” He glanced over at the girl, offered a smile, and shook his head. Stephanie and her friends were all really nice, but she had a huge crush on him. Being gay and dating a girl didn’t turn out well. Ever.

“No, sorry. I have plans tonight.” Stephanie deflated, and Tim found himself feeling sorry for her. Before he could apologize again, she mumbled something about it being fine and that they could do it some other time. Unlikely, but he supposed he would agree if only to appease her.

Stephanie visibly brightened, nodding her head enthusiastically and bouncing off, telling Conner about her upcoming ‘date’ with a certain member of the Drake family.

Tim would be a liar to say he wasn’t flattered by all her offers. She was sweet and funny, but she wasn’t a man. Besides Tim Drake had a boyfriend he was hopelessly enamoured with. There was no way in hell he was giving that up so easily.

He made his way out the front doors of the school building and stalked through the courtyard, looking for the little white car his boyfriend drove. He always told anyone that asked the man he always got in the car with was his step-brother (they didn’t need to know his parents’ marital status), and that he always got rides home with him. Once he spotted the vehicle, he smiled to himself, using light footsteps to march his way over and get inside.

“You’re a little late today, Timmy, what was the hold up?”

“Sorry, Jason,” he started, pulling the safety belt across his lap and chest and buckling it in. “Stephanie asked me out on another date. I had to let her down gently.” Jason rolled his eyes. Almost everyday that Stephanie Brown kid would ask his Baby Bird on a date, give Tim the eyes and somehow manage to get Tim to invite her out somewhere. Last time it was the movies where Tim said she almost kissed him. He nearly cringed at the thought.

“So, when’s the next date you guys are going on?” Jason asked coolly, pulling out of the lot and smoothly driving towards the cluttered street. Tim frowned a little, looking at his feet.

“It’s hard to not make different plans with her. She always looks so crushed-”

“She’s manipulating you, babe. Can’t you tell? You reject her, she gives you that wounded dog look, and you force yourself to accommodate her, despite what you really want. Women are evil.”

“I know,” Tim said lamely, giving his boyfriend a toothy grin, “I’m pretty sure that’s why i’m gay. Plus, vaginas are pretty gross.” Jason arched a brow, fighting back his own laughter and offering up some sort of snort.

“I don’t know; not all vaginas are gross. You just gotta find the right vagina for you.”

“We can’t all be bisexual like you, Jay,” the teen reminded him.

“Yeah, but it makes life a whole helluva lot easier.”

* * *

 

Tim was trying to be a good kid and finished his calculus homework, but Jason always seemed to have other plans. While Tim sat at his desk, calculating and counting furiously on his fingers, Jason pressed kisses to his jaw that trailed down his neck and nipped at his collarbone. He shivered, shoving the older male away with a fierce glare.

“Jason, I know you do not attend high school anymore, but could you please allow me to finish my homework before you do that? It’s very distracting.”

“You’re distracting, babe. What do you want me to do? Sit around with my thumbs up my ass?” Tim’s eyes narrowed at the indecent word, turning his attention back to his forgotten assignment. None of the numbers seemed to add up.

“You’re like my calculus homework, Jay.”

“Aww, you wanna slam me on the table and do me hard?” The teen smirked up at him.

“Nah. I wanna slam you on the table, leave you there for a snack, and forget all about you.”

“Fucking harsh, Timmy.” Jason held his hand to his heart in mock hurt. Tim began to laugh, placing his pencil down over his unfinished work and gathering Jason up in his arms, pressing kisses to his cheeks and forehead.

“Oh, my poor darling. I’m so sorry! I should have never been so rude!” The older male pushed him away this time, wiping his face clean of the slobbery kisses.

“Okay, okay, I get it. You don’t care when you’re rude.”

“Thanks for joining reality, Jay, we missed you.”

* * *

 

“You know, Hood, i’m getting real sick of you showing up everywhere I go.” Jason snorted at the kid, shaking his gun at him to show he really meant business this time. Catlad huffed, crossing his arms and shifting all his weight to one hip.

“Really? A gun? Come on, Red Hood, I don’t need to be shot.”

“Oh, quite contraire. I think shooting you is the perfect solution.” Tim tapped his fingers against his arm boredly, and Jason wanted nothing more than to shoot the sass out of his tiny being. No one sassed Red Hood, especially not this little thief. Who the fuck did this guy think he was, exactly?

“Solution to what? My thieving? I’m merely a Robin Hood, if you will. Taking from the entitle rich, giving to the poor. I don’t keep anything for myself.” A smirk appeared on his features, and Jason was sure he felt the anger boiling over in his chest. Whatever he was about to say, the Hood didn’t want to hear it.

“But I might keep you, Red. You could be a perfect mouse for this cat.” Jason’s hands clenched into fists, and he found it hard to keep from pulling the trigger on the gun. Tim’s smirk turned into a full-blown grin.

“I’m going to wipe that smile from your goddamned face, kid,” Hood sneered, taking a step forward. Either Tim hadn’t noticed or he didn’t feel threatened for he refused to take a step back. The older male took this as a small victory. That is, until Catlad yawned in his face.

Tim crouched down, tapping his fingers on his chin and cheek boredly. He looked up at Jason from beneath his eyelashes, shrugging his shoulders. He spoke gently, “If you were going to do it, you would have by now. I’m starting to think that the Red Hood likes little ol’ me. What’s wrong, babe? Afraid if you kill me, you’ll live a boring life?” Jason prodded his teeth with his tongue, biting on the fleshy part of his cheek to keep from letting out an angered scream. How could this guy push every one of his buttons? No one could do this. Not when he was Red Hood, at least. Tim Drake could push all his buttons when he was merely Jason Todd. It was a wonder someone pissed him off on his more patient side.

“Kid, i’m fucking seriou-”

“No, you aren’t, actually. You think you are. Face it, Hood, you need me. You need something to do. You need something to redeem you from all your last kills, is that right? If you capture me, if you show the world who I am, you’ll be a hero. What you’ve done won’t look bad, and you won’t have a bounty on your head. Does that sound about right to you?” The venom in his voice stung Jason. Red Hood seemed unresponsive, and Catlad was sure he was going to have a clean getaway.

He was oh so wrong.

Jason pounced on him, pinning his legs down with his knees and using both hands to pin down Tim’s. Once he got him down, he shifted his weight, moving Tim’s wrists to one of his hands.

“Do you really fucking think the world is going to care who you are under the goggles? Do you really think anyone gives a shit who this insignificant asshole behind the suit is? They don’t! They just want you gone! I’ll fucking prove it to you no one cares.” He used his now freehand to rip the goggles from Tim’s face. They fell from his hand, and his once tense body seemed to go limp. Tim adverted his eyes, shoving him off as fast as he could, snatching the goggles and holding them to his chest.

“You think anyone cares who you are, either?” His words were meant to sound harsh, but his voice shook. Red Hood didn’t respond, and Tim took an uneasy surge forward. He was stopped by Jason grabbing his wrist and pulling him down in a seated position. His blue eyes burned with embarrassment, and he sat there, lips pursed and hands shaking.

Catlad wasn’t expecting much from Hood. He was expecting a ‘you’re the kid from Drake Enterprises’ and a shove off the building. None of that came. Instead, they sat there in silence, an anxious hum buzzing between them. Tim shifted, but Jason never lifted his head. He cleared his throat. Nothing.

“Are you going to say something or just sit there?” He growled. What came next was a shock. Jason moved his hands behind his head and let the hood fall off. Tim stared uneasily, stomach flipping and heart racing. Red Hood pulled the mask from his eyes. Another perturbed silence fell between them. Tim’s eyes were wide, mouth agape. The embarrassed burning he once felt turned to hot tears, and he found the more he blinked, the more they fell. Jason stood suddenly.

“All this time, Tim, all this fucking time I was chasing after you. I was trying to catch you. I was so desperately angered by you.” The venom in his tone caused Tim to wince, and he looked down at his hands as if it would make Jason disappear. It didn’t.

“I could have- I could have killed you, Tim! I thought about killing you! We’ve been dating for what, seven months? You didn’t think this was important to tell me?”

“You don’t think it would have been important for me to know who you are? No, this is only wrong on my part, right?” Tim spat back, finding the strength to stand back up. His arms were crossed firmly across his chest. Jason sneered.

“Oh yeah, that’s exactly what your innocent boyfriend wants to hear. ‘Oh, by the way, babe, I kill people. It’s my night job. Gotta keep Gotham safe.’”

“You should have trusted me to stick around, Jason! You should have trusted that I wouldn’t have turned you in! Maybe I agree with what you do, maybe I would have helped, maybe I would have told you I was Catlad! I have a more even temper than you!” Jason turned away from him. His patience was too thin, and he knew if he continued looking at him, he’d feel compelled to hit him. He drew in a breath, closed his eyes, and relaxed his shoulders. This was Tim. He loved Tim. He was angry at Tim, but he loved him. He needed to calm down.

“Jason.” That voice. It wasn’t Catlad’s anymore, it was Tim. He turned back around, this time calmer, and looked down at him. Tim sucked in some air.

“I don’t…I don’t want to fight about this. I don’t want to worry about this. You don’t need that. I don’t need that. If it means so much to you, i’ll stop being Catlad. I’ll stop putting on the suit, and i’ll just be Tim.” Jason bit his tongue. That’s what he wanted. That’s what he thought he had. It wouldn’t be that simple, though, and they both knew it. Tim couldn’t just stop being Catlad.

“I know that’s not what you want, Tim. Believe me. I couldn’t just stop being Red Hood, even if I wanted to. And you can’t either. You have too many people after you now, kid.” He ran a hand over his face, grabbed Tim’s hand, and pulled him from the rising sunlight. He almost cracked a smile at Tim’s confused face.

Jason got the two of them running, leaping from shadow to shadow until they were met with the sanctity of his safehouse. He opened the door, ushered Tim inside, and surveyed the surrounding area before deeming it safe to go in as well. He locked the door once it was shut.

Tim glanced around the small pad, grimacing at the half-empty food cartons scattered around. It needed a good cleaning, and he was going to make sure they worked on that very shortly. Sure, Tim’s room wasn’t always the cleanest, but he definitely made sure everything had its spot and was placed back in that spot.

“The maid’s on vacation, sorry,” Jason grunted once he noticed Tim’s grimace. They looked at each other, but neither of them were ready to speak. Tim took to looking at the stained carpet while Jason caught himself staring at the musky blinds. He sighed.

“If you’re going to continue being Catlad, and if you’re going to continue being my boyfriend, you’re just going to have to start hanging around the Hood more often. Now you’ve got a bodyguard, babe, and Hood protects his stuff quite well.” Tim looked up at him, smiled, and moved close enough to hug him tight.

“Jason?” He asked once the embrace was returned, and his face was pleasantly smushed against Jason’s chest.

“Yeah?”

“...I love you too.” Jason pressed a kiss to his head and smiled.


End file.
